Manufacturing News & Events

05.08.18

Five Massachusetts Schools Win AMP it up! Challenge

Five schools from across Massachusetts have won the fourth AMP it up! Challenge, which invites students to research an advanced manufacturing innovation in their region and show its impacts in a two-minute video. Each school will receive $3,000 in prize money.

DeLeo launches $2M voucher program

The leader of the Massachusetts House swung by the state’s flagship university Friday morning to announce a $2 million voucher program that will make it easier for small- and medium-sized businesses to use the advanced research facilities the campus offers.

It was in March 2008 when former Sen. Benjamin Downing and former state Rep. Christopher Speranzo secured $6.5 million to build what was then conceived to be an incubator building at the William Stanley Business Park, spurring the life science economy.

News

05.11.18

Batch Ice Cream has new owners; David and Deborah LeRiche will market the all-natural ice cream product nationally

Batch Ice Cream, an all-natural, premium ice cream which has been a favorite in farmers’ markets, shops and supermarkets throughout the region since 2009, has new owners with big plans for expanding the popular brand across the nation.

Takeda to buy Shire for $62B, creating state’s largest drugmaker

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has agreed to acquire Shire plc for $62 billion, creating what will be the largest life sciences employer in Massachusetts with more than 5,000 employees, barring layoffs.

Saint-Gobain opens life science facility at UMMS

Five Massachusetts Schools Win AMP it up! Challenge

Five schools from across Massachusetts have won the fourth AMP it up! Challenge, which invites students to research an advanced manufacturing innovation in their region and show its impacts in a two-minute video. Each school will receive $3,000 in prize money.

Bay State Wind Brings New Steel Facility and Manufacturing Capabilities to Massachusetts

Bay State Wind, the 50-50 partnership between Ørsted, the global leader in offshore wind, and Eversource, New England’s premier transmission builder, today announced it has entered into an agreement with EEW, the international market leader in steel pipe manufacturing, to open and staff a Massachusetts facility to manufacture offshore wind components.

Maker of iconic Sweethearts and Clark Bar candies at risk of closing

The maker of Necco wafers, Skybar, Clark Bar, Mary Jane and Mighty Malts may have to cease operations and lay off 395 people if it can't find a buyer for the 171-year-old business by May 6, according to The Shelby Report. It is said to be the oldest multi-line candy manufacturer in the country.

Endeavor Robotics To Expand Chelmsford HQ

Endeavor Robotics this week announced a 10,000-square-foot expansion of its Chelmsford headquarters. The new space will be used to boost manufacturing capacity Endeavor needs for increased demand, the company said in a press release.

Riverdale Mills embraces Central Mass. manufacturing history

Northbridge wire mesh product manufacturer Riverdale Mills has had a busy few years, expanding its business to new markets and throwing their name into the ring to be part of President Donald Trump's wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. CEO James M. Knott, Jr. was named as WBJ's Large Business Leader of the Year for 2018.

Greentown Initiative Links Startups with Manufacturers

Adam Rodrigues, manufacturing fellow with Greentown labs, says his job description can be smashed down to two words: Making matches. That would be matches between startups across the state, and especially those within the 413, and manufacturers in Western Mass.

A planter that waters itself? A farm irrigation system that runs on its own waste? A portable mattress that traps heat and weighs less than a suitcase? These inventions may seem futuristic, but a group of Brandeis students put their 3D printing skills to the test on March 17 and 18 to develop those creations and more as part of the Printathon V5.0 Design Challenge

CRRC MA Wins Engineering Achievement Award

The CRRC MA rail-car manufacturing facility at the former Westinghouse site was honored as the state’s outstanding engineering achievement of the year by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts.

Why the Automation Boom Could Be Followed by a Bust

You may not be sharing your office with a robot yet, but the next wave of automation has begun. Humanoid service robots, machine learning algorithms and autonomous logistics will replace millions of service workers in the coming decade.

Gov. Charlie Baker and other state and local officials announced the final piece of funding to make the Berkshire Innovation Center a reality and a groundbreaking for the $13.7 million project is expected this fall.

$3.9 Million Grant Given To Defense Fabric Discovery Center

The Defense Fabric Discovery Center — a collaboration between Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA), MIT Lincoln Laboratory, and the U.S. Army’s Natick Soldier Research and Development and Engineering Center — opened late last year has received a $3.9 million grant from the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2).

MassMEP Presents Manufacturing Leadership Award to North Easton Machine Company

MassMEP, the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership, is pleased to present the 2nd annual Jack Healy Manufacturing Leadership Award to North Easton Machine Company, Inc. North Easton is being recognized for their dedication to training and for building a skilled workforce.

MassRobotics receives grant to expand in Boston, USA

UMass Lowell Partners on research to prevent catastrophic failures of buildings, bridges and more

A team of UMass Lowell researchers has partnered with a research and development company to create new, cost-effective sensor-laden textiles that can be used to monitor the structural health and integrity of vital infrastructures across the country, including buildings and skyscrapers, roadways, bridges, tunnels, railway tracks, dams and pipelines.

Department of Energy Announces $35 Million for Emerging Research Projects to Address Manufacturing Challenges

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $35 million for 24 projects to support early-stage, innovative technologies and solutions in advanced manufacturing. These projects were selected under an Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Advanced Manufacturing Office funding opportunity, focused on advanced materials, advanced processes, and modeling and analysis tools for materials and manufacturing.

Raising the Alarm for US Manufacturing

Michele Nash-Hoff has been crisscrossing the United States in recent years visiting American factories, warning of threats to domestic manufacturing and offering advice on how to rebuild the manufacturing ecosystem.

Department of Energy unveils $3 million prize in solar power innovation contest

Via the DoE the US government is sponsoring a $3 million prize competition for inventors and entrepreneurs who can accelerate the US solar industry through rapid prototyping, 3D printing, and proof-of-concept testing.

AMP it up! Matching Grants to 12 Partnerships

MassDevelopment today announced 12 partnerships will receive AMP it up! matching grants for outreach and other innovative programs that will educate young people and adults about career options in advanced manufacturing.

MassMEP's Mechanical Systems Skills Training provides comprehensive training in mechanical power transmission for the shop floor. "The new training was designed to address the lack of mechanical skills in manufacturing," stated John Killam, President MassMEP. Eight people participated the first class. The next class starts March 5, 2018 and will be offered two days a week, three hours per day for four weeks.

BioFabUSA Winter 2018 Project Call Open for Submissions

A team of chemical and biological engineers has developed highly selective membrane filters that could enable manufacturers to separate and purify chemicals in ways that are currently impossible, allowing them to potentially use less energy and cut carbon emissions, according to findings published in print today in the journal ACS Nano.

State Senator Eric Lesser tours vocational training facility

State Senator Eric Lesser toured the Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative on Tuesday in West Springfield. They have a unique program designed to provide vocational training to students who live in towns that don’t have their own vocational school.

How Manufacturing Companies Get Younger Generations Interested in Manufacturing Careers

At a time when the manufacturing industry is on the cusp of radical change driven by tech advances ranging from 3D printing to artificial intelligence powered robotics, there is a major problem. As Baby Boomers working in the manufacturing industry retire in droves, it turns out that younger people aren’t very interested in taking their place.

Why local manufacturers want to hire teenagers

"It's tough to stay with technology," Precision Machine instructor David Fox admitted Thursday. In the manufacturing field, companies constantly seek newer, fastest ways to create their products and engineers who can help them pioneer better methods.

MassMEP Partners in New Manufacturing USA Institute

MassMEP is pleased to announce that it is part of the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI), a new public-private Manufacturing USA initiative. Headquartered in Manchester, New Hampshire, ARMI is the 12th Manufacturing USA Institute.

WPI, QCC get $4M state grant to start photonics lab

Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Quinsigamond Community College have received a $4 million grant to start an integrated photonics laboratory together, college and state officials announced Thursday.

New technique eases production, customization of soft robotics

“We’re really excited, because we’re providing a (technique) to successfully integrate different materials in a way that is streamlined and supports numerous practical applications,” said Stephen Morin, assistant professor of chemistry. “We think that can really offer new opportunities to the community.”

What Will Robotics and Automation Mean for Food System Workers?

Tech entrepreneurs talk about how robotics will solve labor shortages and make food system work safer and more efficient. Laborers fear robots will lead to the displacement of millions of workers who are not trained for a new, digital economy while lining the pockets of tech CEOs.

Mashpee Robotics Team Advances To Three-State Championship

Speed is the key to the winning in a competition between robots, Mashpee High School's robotics team says.This year, the four-member team is pinning its hopes on the speedy new robot they created (and nicknamed Sheila) as they prepare to compete at the VEX Robotics Southern New England Championship on March 3 and 4.

Researchers at MIT have developed a new way for getting sprayed metal coatings to adhere, in a study that could have big implications for metal 3D printing. The researchers used an ultra-fast camera to observe a spray coating process and discover the ideal conditions for metal bonding.

UNCC’s Hands-On Approach to Manufacturing Research

Starting this month, TechFront has a new format that spotlights manufacturing research programs at key universities, followed by summaries of recent research in SME’s Journal of Manufacturing Systems, Journal of Manufacturing Processes and Manufacturing Letters, all published by Elsevier Ltd.

Furrion Robotics is going full-steam ahead with research into mechs. Its Prosthesis mech was one of the coolest things at CES 2017, and although the first test run was brief, to say the least, it’s still an exciting project.

How Robots Are Helping A Furniture Shop Without Putting Workers Out Of Jobs

As technology advances and robots learn new tricks like folding laundry, it makes people wonder, is my job safe? That is the name of an NPR series that looks at how tech is changing our work, and today, furniture making. It's based on old-fashioned handiwork, but a furniture maker in Massachusetts is using robots not to replace workers, but to help them.

Continuous Flow Manufacturing In Space Station Test

Among the experiments carried to the International Space Station in mid-December is a test of continuous separations of one liquid from another, used in drug and chemical manufacturing. The experiment is evaluating a process developed by Zaiput Flow Technologies in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a 4 year-old spin-off enterprise from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Scientists create 3D printed wearable sensors for plants, enabling measurements of water use in crops

Scientists at Iowa State University are using 3D printing to make graphene-based sensors-on-tape that can be used to collect data about water use in crops. The sensors could also be used in biomedical diagnostics, architecture, and other fields.

Nashoba Valley Tech announces new program

Nashoba Valley Technical High School is one of 10 technical high schools in Massachusetts targeted for a new program through which Bay State residents interested in careers in advanced manufacturing can take classes and be eligible for state and federal financial aid to pay for their training.

3D-printed organs could soon be real

A group of researchers have made a breakthrough in 3D printing by creating a bio-ink that can piece complicated biological structures with different kinds of cells, paving way for 3D printed organs that could revolutionize health care.

Massachusetts invests millions on futuristic fiber hub hopes

Minuteman to participate in new advanced-manufacturing certificate program for adults

Minuteman High School is one of 10 vocational-technical high schools that will be participating in a new educational initiative designed to train adults for high-wage, skill-intensive careers in advanced manufacturing. [Minuteman High School logo]

Massachusetts Report Tallies Clean Energy Jobs

Employing a total of 109,226 workers, Massachusetts’ clean energy sector grew by 4% between 2016 and 2017, according to the new “Clean Energy Industry Report” from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC).

Taunton's Founders Science Group to Buy New Equipment with MassDevelopment Loan

MassDevelopment has provided a $250,000 equipment loan and an export guarantee for Founders Science Group, a Taunton company that provides pilot scale manufacturing and research and development support for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and personal care industries.

Today, the Baker-Polito Administration and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative announced a $3.9 million grant to support the second phase of research & development at the Defense Fabric Discovery Center, a cutting-edge research hub which opened in October.

MilliporeSigma today announced that it has signed a commercial supply agreement to manufacture viral vectors for bluebird bio, Inc., of Cambridge, Massachusetts, for its use in potentially transformative gene therapies.

Massachusetts just created a new way to bulk up its advanced manufacturing workforce. A new program, called the Advanced Manufacturing Certificate Program, offered to adults who want to learn new skills in advanced manufacturing, was announced on Dec. 14.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is increasingly becoming an integral part of companies—their strategies, their day-to-day activities and their futures. In fact, when 500 executives were recently surveyed by Forbes Insights, more than 90% said IoT would be important to the future of their companies.

New program to open doors for Massachusetts workers into advanced manufacturing

Governor Baker Announces Program to Expand Workforce In Advanced Manufacturing

Massachusetts is known for its healthcare services, tech workers and higher education. But Governor Charlie Baker tells WGBH's Morning Edition that nearly 20 percent of all jobs in the state are in manufacturing, and a new program he’s announcing today aims to provide the right workforce for an evolving industry.

Enabling the Next Generation of Pre-Filled Syringes from Design to Manufacturing

Central Mass. receives $40,000 grant for paid STEM internships

The Central Massachusetts Workforce Investment Board and the city of Worcester are one of five recipients of $200,000 in state grants to help increase internship opportunities in STEM fields for high school students.

Massachusetts Names Manufacturing Grant Awardees at State House

This week the Baker-Polito Administration, in coordination with the Smaller Business Association of New England (SBANE), awarded $216,067 to 32 small and medium-sized manufacturers based in Massachusetts that will support more than 1,400 jobs across the Commonwealth.

Three Tech-Fueled Game-changers for Manufacturing in 2018

What will be disrupting the manufacturing industry in 2018? Try IoT being built into the product design, manufacturers adopting a more service-centric business model, and 3D printing reaching the tipping point of realizing business benefits on a large scale.

Shoes built just for your feet? Custom headphones? They’re not far away

Now, technologies including 3-D scanning are bringing consumer products companies closer to developing custom-fit versions of mass-produced goods. But despite the futuristic promise in the field, few products have yet broken through to a broad audience.

North American Automation Market Shattering Records in 2017

The North American automation market set new records through the first nine months of 2017, according to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), the leading global advocate for the benefits of automating.

Crane Currency To Be Sold For $800M, Manufacturing Will Remain In Dalton

Manufacturers respond to health edicts in food and drink recipes

The WHO supports sugar taxes as one of a series of measures to promote healthy eating and, to date, around 20 countries have introduced a form of sugar tax, including Mexico, France, South Africa and Norway.

Students tour Little Leaf Farms

Manufacturing USA Releases its 2016 Annual Report

Manufacturing USA today released its 2016 Annual Report to Congress. The report describes the program’s work in helping to move discoveries in the nation’s universities and research laboratories to the shop floor here in America.

MIT Develops 3D Desktop Printer That is 10 Times Faster Than Existing Counterparts

Engineers at MIT have developed a new desktop 3D printer that performs up to 10 times faster than existing commercial counterparts. Whereas the most common printers may fabricate a few Lego-sized bricks in one hour, the new design can print similarly sized objects in just a few minutes.

Cool Stuff Made in Central Massachusetts

Brammer Bio today announced the completion of renovations and launch of its late-stage clinical capacity and commercial-ready cGMP manufacturing site in Cambridge, Massachusetts for gene therapy products.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker yesterday congratulated the 15 MassEcon winners of the Fourteenth Annual Team Massachusetts Economic Impact Awards, telling them, “You have competed in all shapes and sizes and played in all kinds of spaces” in the Commonwealth.

Emergent BioSolutions Inc today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the supplemental Biologics License Application for the manufacture of ACAM2000®, (Smallpox (Vaccinia) Vaccine, Live) in the company’s newly-acquired cGMP live viral manufacturing facility in Canton, Massachusetts.

Revolution Composites expands manufacturing facility

The importance of servitization in manufacturing

As markets continually shift and competition continues to rise, the role of a manufacturer has changed drastically in the past few years. With a growing number of businesses stepping into the services field, manufacturing is clearly in the midst of an industry-wide servitization transformation.

American textile maker Merida, which designs and weaves made-to-order rugs in Fall River, is a 2017 recipient of a Workplace Training Fund grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) recognized Seaman Paper Company of Massachusetss, Inc. with a 2017 AF&PA Leadership in Sustainability Award for Safety for their Raising the Reels for Safety project. The award was presented at AF&PA's annual meeting on Friday, Nov. 3 in Greensboro, Georgia.

Tegra Medical was honored as a products leader in the first annual Massachusetts Manufacturing Caucus Awards. The award ceremony took place at the Massachusetts State House in Boston on October 26, 2016 with chairmen Senator Eric Lesser and Representative John Fernandes.

Wave Life Sciences Unveils New Manufacturing Facility in Lexington, MA

Wave Life Sciences Ltd., a biotechnology company focused on delivering transformational therapies for patients with serious, genetically-defined diseases, today announced the public opening of its new 90,000 square foot state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and office space in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Carlstrom Pressed Metal of Westboro honored as state Manufacturer of Year

State Rep. Hannah Kane, R-Shrewsbury, presented Westboro-based Carlstrom Pressed Metal with a Manufacturer of the Year Award on Oct. 24 at a State House ceremony. As a member of the Legislature’s Manufacturing Caucus, Ms. Kane nominated Carlstrom Pressed Metal for the recognition.

Sanofi pushes hard into robotics and analytics to get most out of manufacturing

Sanofi has spent the last five years and billions of dollars to create digital manufacturing plants that use robots and analytics as it pushes its processing into a brave new world. For example, its biologics plants in Framingham, Massachusetts, and Geel, Belgium, both use collaborative robots, or “cobots,” that will work next to humans for some processes and autonomous mobile robots for moving ingredients and equipment.

Lawrence businesses honored with manufacturing awards

Two Lawrence-based manufacturing businesses were recently recognized at the Statehouse. Lawrence-based apparel manufacturer 99Degrees Custom and Microsemi of Lawrence were honored as part of the second Manufacturing Month Award Ceremony highlighting manufacturers across the Commonwealth.

Gillette rolls out first-of-its-kind razor

US Manufacturing Output Rises as Impact from Hurricanes Fades

U.S. factory production rose last month for the first time since June, a sign the industry is starting to regain its footing after the damage from hurricanes Harvey and Irma, Federal Reserve data showed on Oct. 17.

$9.5 Million in grants awarded for vocational equipment and programs

The state is awarding $9.5 million in Skills Capital Grants to 32 high schools, community colleges and educational institutions that will use the funds to purchase equipment, modernize operations, and boost enrollment capacity in career training programs.

Baker-Polito Administration Awards $7 Million to Support Advanced Manufacturing Initiatives and Job Creation

In celebration of National Manufacturing Day, the Baker-Polito Administration awarded $7 million in funding to support growth in seven innovative advanced manufacturing projects across the Commonwealth through the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2).

UMass lands $500K grant for ‘intelligent Band-Aid’

Some day soon, researchers at the University of Massachussets Amherst hope to unveil a skin patch that will monitor the health of users as they go about daily activities. To fund the cutting-edge research, the university on Friday received a $500,000 state grant from the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative, or M212.

Insulet will expand production to Acton, expects to add hundreds of jobs

When Insulet Corp. chief executive Patrick Sullivan wanted to shift some of his manufacturing from China to the United States, he looked at sites across this country. In the end, though, Sullivan settled on a location less than 15 miles away from Insulet’s Billerica headquarters: a former Digital Equipment Corp. office building in Acton that has been vacant for at least 15 years.

Manufacturers looking to hire in western Massachusetts

Some manufacturing companies here in western Massachusetts are looking for workers.To fill those jobs at several small companies, CareerPoint in Holyoke conducts frequent job fairs. OMG Roofing, Pelican Products, and U.S. Tsubaki were among the companies looking for potential workers through CareerPoint Wednesday.

Now Accepting Applications! Site Readiness Program

The Site Readiness Program aims to boost the Commonwealth’s inventory of large, well-located, project-ready sites; accelerate private-sector investment in industrial and commercial projects; and support the conversion of abandoned sites and obsolete facilities into clean, actively-used, tax-generating properties.

SBANE Is Now Accepting Applications for the 2017-2018 Manufacturing Matching Grant Program

SBANE is now accepting applications for the 2017-2018 program. To be eligible, companies must be manufacturing companies based in Massachusetts and must meet the criteria used by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to define a manufacturing corporation.

MassDevelopment has provided a $2 million Emerging Technology Fund loan to Amastan Technologies LLC, a North Andover company that commercializes advanced clean production technologies for next-generation materials.

Riptide Earns Frost & Sullivan Award

New Products Give Callaway Plant a Needed Bounce

Over the past century or so, golf balls — and golf-ball history — have been made in Chicopee. Indeed, the sprawling plant on Meadow Street that once bore the name ‘Spalding’ and now ‘Callaway’ has been home to a number of innovations and new products. In recent years, though, that tradition — not to mention the number of workers at the plant — has been in decline. However, a new and exciting golf-ball design is changing the landscape, in all kinds of ways.

It’s time for manufacturers to stop leaving hidden profits on the table

Manufacturers with after-sales service organisations are racking up hidden costs from capital, service, time and resources by simply relying on their traditional ERP systems for service parts management.

Advances In Manufacturing Are Paving The Way For New Medicines

Robot Production Takes A Simplified Turn with MIT's Interactive Robogami

Robotics is certainly not a new topic in the engineering world. Various individuals, groups and governments have been investing huge amounts of time and money into several research projects aimed at enhancing our ability to effectively produce robots.

Manufacturers bringing jobs back to Central Mass.

American companies are even bringing their jobs back from abroad, according to the national Reshoring Initiative, an organization promoting manufacturing jobs in America. About 338,000 jobs have been brought to the country from offshore since 2010, according to the organization's website.

Manufacturing Adds Jobs for Seventh Time in Eight Months

National payrolls added 209,000 jobs overall in July, more than 16% above the estimate, as the jobless rate matched its lowest point since 2001. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, the sector has averaged 12,500 jobs added since November and wages have increased 2.8% year-over-year to $1,092.03 per week.

Highlighting the precision manufacturing and other high-skills job opportunities that are going unfilled across Berkshire County and Western Massachusetts, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, stressed Tuesday that more must be done to connect local residents to these positions.

Build American: The Case for Making it Here

There’s ample reason to be optimistic about manufacturing in America these days. Output has been steadily increasing, with the biggest jump—1%—in April, marking the fastest rate of growth since 2014, according to the Federal Reserve. At 75.9%, capacity utilization is up to a 20-month high.

30 Under 30: Recognizing the Future Leaders of Manufacturing

Manufacturing Engineering launched its 30 Under 30 project to honor young people who have the potential to be manufacturing leaders. Today, in its fifth iteration, 30 Under 30 has become something of a tradition—one inspired by and supportive of SME’s longstanding efforts to improve and grow the manufacturing workforce.

How to Fix Manufacturing's Poor Image

"The American public’s perception of manufacturing may be at an inflection point. The good news is manufacturing clearly matters to many Americans, with the vast majority viewing U.S. manufacturing as crucial to America’s economic prosperity, standard of living, and national security," said a new report.

Mass. improves on manufacturing indicators

Despite an average overall score, manufacturing in Massachusetts improved in several categories between 2016 and 2017, according to new data from Ball State University and Indiana's advanced manufacturing initiative.

MassDevelopment Funds Cox Engineering Expansion in Randolph

MassDevelopment has issued a $6.3 million tax-exempt bond for Cox Engineering Company and related affiliates, a Canton business that designs, fabricates, and installs HVAC piping and sheet metal ductwork. Cox Engineering will use bond proceeds to buy and renovate a 73,000-square-foot building in Randolph for manufacturing. The company will also use proceeds to buy and install new manufacturing equipment, CNC machines, coil line for making ductwork, and line cutters.

New Advanced Manufacturing Facilities at UMass Amherst Draw More than 120 to Grand Opening

More than 120 people from dozens of advanced and precision manufacturing firms, research and development companies, commercial lenders and community colleges crowded into the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS) on June 30 to learn first-hand about how its newly opened core facilities can help them to boost the state’s manufacturing economy.

The MIT Tech Review magazine's 2017 list of 50 Smartest Companies, released Tuesday, names five companies from Massachusetts. At the top of the local list — and No. 19 overall — is Desktop Metal Inc., the 3D printing startup that raised $97 million before unveiling its new technology in April.

UMass Lowell gets $11.3M for advanced fabrics research center

The city of Lowell, once a center of the nation's textile industry, could reclaim that status if the city and its universities can help bring high-tech fabrics and embedded electronics to the market thanks to a state grant.

New fabric center seeks to spin out advanced textile technology

Downloaded Designs? UMass Lowell To Open Fabric Innovation Center

From watches to crock pots, these days it seems like almost every object can be connected to the internet. And your T-shirt could soon be next. A new institute at UMass Lowell — called a fabric discovery center — will work to create fabrics with a wide array of electronic capabilities, state officials announced Wednesday.

Baker-Polito Administration Awards $11.3 Million to UMass Lowell For Innovation in Advanced Manufacturing

LOWELL – Today the Baker-Polito Administration announced awards totaling $11.3 million to UMass Lowell to fund the creation of future technologies that will revolutionize the way fabrics are made and reinvent the textile industry in Lowell.

Durfee wins Amp It Up! challenge again

FALL RIVER — B.M.C Durfee High School, in collaboration with the FRED TV program won the AMP It Up! Challenge for the second consecutive year. Students from B.M.C Durfee High School produced a video about Matouk Fine Linens in Fall River.

Today the Baker-Polito Administration announced a $2.2 million grant to MIT Lincoln Laboratory to support the opening of the Defense Fabric Discovery Center. The Center is a collaboration between MIT Lincoln Laboratory and the US Army Natick Solider Research Development and Engineering Center, in partnership with the Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA).

Business briefs for May 24, 2017

B.M.C. Durfee High School in Fall River, Newton North High School in Newton, Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School in Billerica and Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School in New Bedford have won the third AMP it up! Challenge, which invites students to research an advanced manufacturing innovation in their region and show its impacts in a three-minute video.

Chamber's economic conference focuses on manufacturing

HAVERHILL — Local business leaders along with area city and town officials gathered at DiBurro's on Wednesday for an annual Economic Development Conference hosted by the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce.

AMP it up! Challenge Winners

Boston – B.M.C. Durfee High School in Fall River, Newton North High School in Newton, Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School in Billerica, and Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School in New Bedford have won the third AMP it up! Challenge, which invites students to research an advanced manufacturing innovation in their region and show its impacts in a three-minute video.

B.M.C. Durfee High School in Fall River, Newton North High School in Newton, Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School in Billerica, and Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School in New Bedford have won the third AMP it up! Challenge, which invites students to research an advanced manufacturing innovation in their region and show its impacts in a three-minute video.

Great gifts made in New England

Manufacturing Is Changing Dramatically. Who’s Ready to Work?

U.S. manufacturing companies are expected to face a shortage of two million skilled workers by the year 2020. As a result, manufacturers and educators are looking for real, actionable ideas to train workers, reduce the shortfall and realize the potential of the new age of manufacturing.

Events

05.23.18

Robotics Summit & Showcase

The Robotics Summit & Showcase is a multifaceted educational forum and showcase dedicated to addressing the technical issues involved with the design, development, manufacture and delivery of commercial robotics and intelligent systems products and services.